The long journey to find one's inner dog.

I keep forgetting that I am not in Kansas anymore. So what did I discover today.

Did you know you can still smoke in restaurants? I guess I knew this but it’s been so long since I witnessed it, I had forgotten. You can’t smoke in restaurants in NYC, you definitely can’t smoke in them in California, and surprisingly enough you can’t smoke in them in Lexington, KY. You can however, smoke in them at Kelcy’s Restaurant up the street. I discovered this when I was informed tonight that there was no seating available in nonsmoking and if I wanted a table I’d have to sit in smoking. It didn’t give me a lot of choices, so I took it. It wasn’t too bad, luckily the only people smoking were the waitress and hostess. Yes, you heard that right the only people smoking, in the smoking section were the hostess and waitress.

Next, I discovered that you can pay for dinner with a check. I didn’t even know checks still exist. I pay everything on line except for my rent. But as I sat and ate dinner, patron and after patron wrote checks to pay for their dinner. In fact here in Iowa you can write a check for any purchase at all. Most people here have never heard of an ATM card or credit card. You find yourself standing in line waiting as little old ladies write check, after check, after check.

I also discovered that people are still hung up on the French not joining us in Iraq. Tonight I got American Fries. Which look like French fries. Taste like French fries. And smell like French fries. But I guess they can’t be French fries, because, well you all remember.

I also discover that Citgo, the store that “Almost Never Closes” according to the big sign on the front of their store, closes at 10:00. I don’t know when they would close if they were “almost always closed”, or “almost always closes early”.

These are all the lessons I learned today. I’m sure the longer I am here the more I’ll learn about life in the Midwest.

As for the job applications, every thing’s been proofed and re-proofed and I think it’s ready to go. I’ll get up in the morning and take it all to school. Who knows what will happen but as my recovery friends say, “I’ve taken the action, I’ll let go of the results.”

8 thoughts on “I keep forgetting that I am not in Kansas anymore….”

I went through the same culture shock thing, when I moved from Miami to Richmond… Checks for everything…. gas, food, everything….

We, here in VA, are a little less tolerant of the smoking thing though, I guess since a lot of the Washington DC suburbs are actually in VA… Even though we are one of the original tobacco states. The area I live in is celebrating 400 years in May, even the Queen is coming! (oh yeah GW too).

I hope you’re not patronizing Citgo, which is owned by the socialist Venezuelan government, and therefore controlled by newly crafted dictator Hugo Chavez — whose first act was to steal the oil refinieries from their rightful owners.

Comedian Steven Wright: I went to the 24-hour gas station. They were closed. I went back the next day and said, “Your sign says Open 24 Hours.” He said, “Yeah, but not in a row.”

I never use checks anymore; however, some places in Arkansas still accept them – however, VERY few. Actually the big thing now is for checks to be processed like a credit card (i.e. immediate withdrawal) – which to me is just a waste of having checks in the first place.

Isn’t life in middle America… different! As for your application, I am happy to hear that you went through with the process… just remember, everything happens for the best and works out like is should – my Grandmother taught me that you KNOW about a gay man and his Grandmother…